The 15th annual Sturgis “Motorcycles as Art” exhibition has for title “Built for Speed” and will be co-curated for the second year in a row by photographer Michael Lichter and Vintagent blogger Paul D’orleans. The exhibit held at the Buffalo Chip will showcase 35 custom motorcycles from around the world (as far away as Japan and Switzerland) with some connection to speed and racing.

‘Built for Speed’ will “WOW” visitors with a beautiful and thought-provoking display of motorcycles and related art, our race-inspired theme making connections between between motorcycle racing and custom bike designs inspired by racers. Each custom bike in ‘Built for Speed’ reflects a branch of racing; Speedway, Flat Track, Drag Racing, Board Track, Grand Prix, Land Speed Record, and will be displayed beside the racing machines suggesting the origins of each style. On the walls surrounding these awesome bike will be race-themed painting, photography, helmets and prints by artists equally inspired by competition motorcycles in action.

Entry to the Buffalo Chip’s 7,000’ purpose-built Michael Lichter art gallery is FREE and this year, hours have been extended, from 2 pm into the evening concert hours of 10 pm. The show opens on Saturday August 2 and closes Friday night August 9. To find the gallery, head to the Buffalo Chip and turn east on Alkali Road; go to the EAST entrance. The gallery is next to the EAST entrance and does not require a ticket to enter.

Michael’s exhibits has been the highlight to my Sturgis experience for 10+ years now and it gets better every year especially after moving it from the Rapid City Museum to his own complex at The Buffalo Chip Campground.